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Title: Kung Fu Panda (2008)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jack Black | ... |
Po
(voice)
|
|
| Dustin Hoffman | ... |
Shifu
(voice)
|
|
| Angelina Jolie | ... |
Tigress
(voice)
|
|
| Ian McShane | ... |
Tai Lung
(voice)
|
|
| Jackie Chan | ... |
Monkey
(voice)
|
|
| Seth Rogen | ... |
Mantis
(voice)
|
|
| Lucy Liu | ... |
Viper
(voice)
|
|
| David Cross | ... |
Crane
(voice)
|
|
| Randall Duk Kim | ... |
Oogway
(voice)
|
|
| James Hong | ... |
Mr. Ping
(voice)
|
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| Dan Fogler | ... |
Zeng
(voice)
|
|
| Michael Clarke Duncan | ... |
Commander Vachir
(voice)
|
|
| Wayne Knight | ... |
Gang Boss
(voice)
|
|
| Kyle Gass | ... |
KG Shaw
(voice)
|
|
| JR Reed | ... |
JR Shaw
(voice)
|
|
It's the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around...which doesn't exactly come in handy while working every day in his family's noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
From the very beginning, Kung Fu Panda had me practically falling out of my seat --- laughing. It was the perfect blend of comedy, heart, and action, all necessary elements in a successful and great animation/CGI film, in the tradition of The Incredibles and (less action, but containing the heart and laughter) Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.
I took my wife and nephew and niece to see it on a Friday night and they enjoyed it, too! We were totally laughing, smiling, and guffawing at Po, the main protagonist (voiced by Jack Black) and his misadventures at becoming a Kung Fu expert. This was certainly a flawed character, one that a lot of people can relate to because he dreams, he's funny, and he can laugh at himself. Also, the story was pretty clear and easy to follow because the storytelling was well crafted, and the animation was paired well with characters brought vividly to life by some of the most famous names in Hollywood.
Jack Black and Dustin Hoffman are downright excellent as the main characters, and Ian McShane as the bad dude gave it the right fearful presence. Other big name stars don't shine as much, but that's because their roles are rather limited in the film. But that's still okay because the animators should be given equal credit (if not more) for delivering the funny, action and heart elements of this movie in an effective, amazing and (I've got to use this) AWESOME manner. Visually, this movie is stunning (notice all those scenic shots of the Chinese mountains, bodies of water, and the bridge scene; not to mention the action animation version of "The Matrix" with slow-mo)... simply a delight to watch.
It's clear that Dreamworks has gotten back in the animation game with Kung Fu Panda, after slight ho-hums in Shrek 3 and Bee Movie (call me crazy, but I liked Over The Hedge more than those two). Hopefully, it should earn well over $500M worldwide because it is so good.
This movie rightfully belongs in the top animation movies of all time (okay, let's not include the classic fairy tales of old; let's begin with the 90's onwards), alongside my faves "The Incredibles" "Finding Nemo" and "Beauty & The Beast." Has the makings of being a classic.
My wife and I enjoyed it so much that we saw it again the night after. And maybe another time... haha!
Enjoy!